How to Select the Right Wood for Cabinets

Plan

• 1

  Decide how much you can spend on the cabinets according to your budget.

• 2

  Compare the cost of custom cabinets, which allow the widest choice of woods, with stock or ready-to-assemble cabinets, which are less expensive but restrict your choice of wood.

• 3

  Choose the durability of wood you need according to your usage. If you need a wood that can stand heavy use, oak can be an economical choice, while the more expensive woods such as mahogany or cherry are less durable.

Examine

• 4

  Browse stock cabinets in local showrooms to see what kind of woods you like. Ask to see woods that are suitable to paint, like birch, poplar or maple, and those that take staining well, like ash.

• 5

  Go to several lumberyards and ask to see their wood samples. Examine the grains. Wood can be stained, oiled or tinted but the grain affects its appearance and how dark or light it will get.

• 6

  Ask for a sample of the woods you like. If one isn't stained in a color you want, ask for a close match to help you make up your mind. Take home samples to see how they blend with your home décor.

Decide

• 7

  Study stain charts at hardware stores. Compare different woods and the colors they can be stained. Take samples of your curtains and furniture fabrics with you to see which stained woods complement them

• 8

  Ask for prices of veneers versus solid wood. Veneers are less expensive than solid wood. The most visible parts of your cabinets are the doors. Inquire about using solid wood for the doors and combining it with a veneer for the cabinet base. This would reduce expense while maintaining appearance and durability.

• 9

  Narrow your wood choice to three. Measure your cabinet space or existing cabinets. Ask several cabinetmakers and suppliers for quotes for the three woods you have chosen.